NEWPORT NEWS — Framed by patriotic bunting and surrounded by a few thousand chairs, the Navy's newest aircraft carrier is ready for its close-up.

Sailors in dress blues and hard hatted workers from Newport News Shipbuilding swarmed Dry Dock 12 Friday to complete preparations for the christening of the Gerald R. Ford, the first in a new class of aircraft carrier that will herald a new age of naval warfare.

Susan Ford Bales, the former president's daughter, will do the honors by breaking a bottle of American sparkling wine across the ship's bow. Speakers include Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee from Ford's home state of Michigan.

Some 20,000 ticket-holders are expected to crowd the shipyard to witness naval history. The ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m. and will be webcast, is a signature event for the city of Newport News, home to the only U.S. shipyard that builds nuclear-powered flattops, the centerpiece of American military might around the globe.

The pomp and joy of the christening will take place against the backdrop of budget uncertainty in Washington, as some question whether the U.S. should reduce its carrier fleet to cope with oncoming spending cuts. That debate will play out in the coming months and perhaps longer, as Congress struggles to reach a long-term spending deal.

But for the moment, the Navy and the shipyard get to have some fun, celebrating years of work in front of a crowd ranging from a former U.S. vice president to dozens of Boy Scouts from Hampton Roads and beyond.

The challenges of building a new class of carrier have been well documented. The christening had been scheduled for July, but was delayed. The ship's budget will exceed forecasts by nearly 25 percent.

Kevin Stewart has a more personal perspective.

The pipe fitter from Mathews County has his fingerprints all over the new ship, and on Friday he relaxed in a chair to consider the effort it has taken to get this far.

"It's a new class, so a lot of design changes," he said. "It takes a little while to work out all the kinks. As it's progressed, it looks a lot better."

For example, new valves for the Ford weren't ready in time, so workers installed spool pieces where the valves should go. When the valves arrived, they had to go back, pull out the spool pieces and put in the valves.

"That was a big thing with us," he said. "It just made it a little more work."

Stewart is far more excited about his role in Saturday's ceremony. He and Gerald Barnes, a welder, will escort the daughters of Ford Bales to the ceremony. Both Stewart and Barnes have worked at the shipyard for 37 years.

"It's unbelievable," Barnes said.

"That's a career highlight right there – a lifetime highlight really," said Stewart.

'Really want to do this'

Ford was the only man who served as vice president and president without being elected to either office. A solid lawmaker from Michigan known for his honesty, he was considered the right choice when scandal forced Vice President Spiro Agnew from office, followed by President Richard Nixon.

Three notable members of his administration will attend the ceremony. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger served under Nixon and stayed to advise Ford. Donald Rumsfeld served as chief of staff under Ford and later became his defense secretary. Rumsfeld returned to that job under former President George W. Bush to lead the U.S. response after the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

Dick Cheney served as chief of staff under Ford in 1976 and, like Rumsfeld, became better known later in his career, as Bush's vice president.

Another fact about the Ford presidency is perhaps less known. He was the only Eagle Scout ever to serve in the White House.

As a tribute to his scouting career, dozens of Boy Scouts will be assisting at the ceremony. Most are from Hampton Roads, but another 34 are coming from Ford's home state of Michigan after an all-night bus ride Thursday.

As an added tribute, a group of Eagle Scouts from Hampton Roads will serve as the color guard, a duty normally reserved for the Navy.

"It's a huge deal," said Christopher Dobyns, 17, a student at Bethel High School. "No one else is going to be able to say they were the color guard for the christening ceremony."

"We really want to do this," added Brady Reisch, also 17, a student at York High School. He said the diligence required of an Eagle Scout should serve him well later in life, just as it served Ford.

"You really learn to grow up in a certain way that people look up to, with a focus on leadership and service," he said. "You make lots of friends while you're in scouting. Overall, it's a very rewarding thing to have – plus, it looks good on your resume."

An Eagle Scout might even grow up to drive an aircraft carrier.

Meet Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Ben Hansen. He's a Michigan native, an Eagle Scout in the President Gerald R. Ford Council and the new helmsman of the Ford.

His old troop number is 78 – and the Ford is designated by the Navy as CVN-78.

"It's great. It's an experience you'll never forget," he said, watching the media descend on Dry Dock 12. "I see some of the local reporters I used to watch on TV. You couldn't plan this in a hundred years."

One hundred and three years before the Navy christened its newest aircraft carrier in Newport News this week, the pioneering flight that proved shipboard takeoffs possible lifted off from a cruiser anchored in Hampton Roads.